FCB Juniors find the right fire just before Fourth

Friday, July 2, 2021
The McCook First Central Bank Juniors brought patriotic colors to this contest and are preparing for their regular-season finale next week followed by area playoffs.
R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

MINDEN, Neb. — Ignore that 5-14 record, because the fuse is lit and McCook First Central Bank’s going BOOM as Legion baseball hits its big home stretch.

“We definitely feel we’re starting to play our best ball,” coach Coy Terry declared this morning.

The Thursday night trip to Minden brought July in with a blast.

Bryson Gullion sizzled four hits, Layton Bortner struck out eight and the FCB Juniors sparkled throughout their 6-4 win over a tough area foe.

“We came out with nothing to lose against a team we will probably face at some point during districts,” Terry remarked as McCook avenged a 6-3 home defeat on June 14. “We did everything right away and pulled off a win.”

Terry even felt his Juniors were moving in the right direction following Tuesday’s 5-4 loss at Gothenburg.

G-Burg’s currently the No. 2 area tournament seed behind only No. 1 Broken Bow. The Melons needed some last at-bat heroics against a McCook team which fizzled quietly, 6-2, during their previous meeting on June 13.

McCook FCB never trailed Thursday night, taking a 2-0 lead on RBI-singles from Brett Fraker and Quentin Terry.

Bortner blanked Minden through the first three frames while allowing only one hit.

When the hosts halved their deficit to 2-1, McCook quickly fired across two more runs.

Gullion’s leadoff single started a steady blaze around the bases.

He moved to second when the Minden pitcher balked, took third thanks to Bortner’s infield grounder and then scored on a dropped third strike.

Terry also trekked around those bases to score without McCook delivering a hit.

The 4-1 margin soon became 4-3, but Lincoln soon became too much for Minden to handle.

Lincoln Michaelis ran for Landon Kmoch, who drew a seventh-inning leadoff walk.

Michaelis swiped second base before Ethan Schmidt’s bunt fired him over to third.

Gullion soon singled again to score Lincoln for 5-3 breathing room.

Another Gullion stolen base led to two Minden errors and a 6-3 FCB lead.

“We moved guys around. We did a lot of great bunts and didn’t give up with two outs,” Terry observed.

Minden didn’t surrender without putting two potential game-tying runners on base in the final inning.

However, Bortner reduced the flame with his last two strikeouts.

Nathaniel Miller relieved and needed to throw only one pitch which resulted in first baseman Jalen Collicott catching the game’s final pop fly.

The Juniors aim to keep this fire burning against Norton, Kan., Wednesday night which concludes their regular season.

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